Label printing machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for printing a strip of connected labels including a stack of co-axially disposed print wheels, a series of print wheel setting knobs disposed on an exterior surface of the machine and drivingly connected respectively with the print wheels by means of toothed intermediate wheels and racks and pinions for rotatably adjusting the individual wheels, a solenoid for moving the print wheels out of engagement with the intermediate wheels, and a feed wheel having a print backup boss disposed to have a nip with printing surfaces of the print wheels so that the label stock is printed as the backup boss makes a nip with printing surfaces on the print wheels as the print wheels are collectively rotated with corresponding rotation of the feed wheel.

Davis et al.

[ July 16, 1974 [5 1 LABEL PRINTING MACHINE [75] Inventors: Wilbur M. Davis; Robert E. Yates,

both of Rochester, Minn.

[73] Assignee': International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y.

[22] Filed: Dec. 20, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 317,018

[52] US. Cl. 101/66, 101/92 [51] Int. Cl B4lj 7/06 [58] Field of Search 101/66, 68, 69, 91, 92, 101/76, 106, 108, 110, 269; 226/76 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 679,627 7/1901 Leavy et a1. 101/92 711,590 10/1902 Post 10'1/92 1,643,608 9/1927 Priestley 101/92 1,935,799 1l/1933 Jamison 101/92 2,290,871 7/1942 Freedman 101/92 2,501,873 3/1950 Oliver 226/76 2,678,601 5/1954 Aurbach 101/68 2,802,416 8/1957 Karkow 4 l0l/9l 3,253,544 5/1966 Van Hofe 101/66 3,330,207 7/1967 De Man 101/92 3,363,547 l/1968 Thut et a1.- 101/56 3,508,488 4/1970 Maulet a1.; 101/269 3,515,060 6/1970 Barbour 3,640,216 2/1972 Piazza 101/110 3,643,594 2/1972 Pepitone 101/93 C 3,709,144 1/1973 Sims 101/269 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 227,841 10/1929 Australia 101/92 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant ExaminerWilliam Pieprz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Keith T. Bleuer 57 ABSTRACT intermediate wheels, and a feed wheel having a print backup boss disposed to have a nip with printing surfaces of the print wheels so that the label stock is printed as the backup boss makes a nip'with printing surfaces on the print wheels as thefprint wheels are collectively rotated with corresponding rotation of the feed wheel.

' 1 Claim, 15 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL 1 8 1914 SNEEIZBFS PATENTEUJUL 1 61874 YSL/LAHIIII I 78 i I ll" i 5 ml 7 FIG..3

FIG. 13 Q; 4

i jlloo /.r146 I CROSS REFERENCES To RELATED APPLICATIONS A label printing machine of a somewhat similar type is disclosed in an application by the inventors hereof filed concurrently herewith, Ser. No. 317,019.

The invention relates to labels and more particularly to a machine for printing identical characters on a series of labels in strip form as the label strip passes through the machine. i

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved machine of this type in which the characters printed on the labels can be changed at will between successive runs of the label strip stock through the machine.

More particularly, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide an improved machine of this type in which the'printing occurs between a stack of print wheels and a boss on an associated feed wheel which has a nip with printing surfaces on the print wheels as the wheels rotate.

In a preferred form, the machine includes a stack of print wheels each having a series of printing surfaces on its periphery. The rotative position 'of each of the print wheels may be adjusted with respect to the other wheels in the stack by a manual control, this control including aknob whch acts'on arack that in turn moves an intermediate wheel having a toothed driving connection with a print wheel. The machine includes mechanism for withdrawing the print wheels out of toothed interengagement with the intermediate wheels prior to actual printing, and a motor drives the print wheels and a feed wheel simultaneously so that printing action takes place between a backup boss on the feed wheel and printing portions of the print wheels having a nip with the backup boss.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the printer of the invention; I v

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view'of the internal mechanism within the printer;

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are partial side elevational views of certain portions of this mechanism with the parts being in differing positions as the printer operates;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the electrical system used in'connection with the printer;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the label strip stock used in i the label printer of the invention; and

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the label strip with a pair of label registration fingers engaging with the label strip, as is shown in elevation in FIG. 10.

Referring now to the drawings and to FIG. 14in particular, there is illustrated in FIG. 14 a strip of paper label stock. The strip 20 has notches or indentations 22 in its side edges and these'indentations, together with perforation lines or lines of weakness 24, divide the strip 20 into individual labels A, B, C, etc. The labels will be printed by the printer of the invention with lines '26, and combinations of four of these lines correspond to each of the Arabic numerals 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0. The lines 26 constitute a machine readable bar code. The printer simultaneously prints the Arabic numerals 27 corresponding to the bar code for human readability.

The label stock shown in FIG. 14 is adapted to be printed by the printer of the invention which is illustrated perspectively in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the printer comprises a housing or casing 28 having an upper slanted panel 28a. A plurality of slots 30 are provided in the panel 28a, and buttons or knobs 32 are slideably disposed within the slots 30. The knobs are used, as will be described, for setting the particular characters to be printed by the printer; and each of the knobs has positions 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 as shown inFIG. 1.

The printer may also include a label counter of any suitable construction, and the counter may be set for a certain label count by means of knobs 34 movable in slots 36 formed in the panel 27a. An on/off switch 36 and a-start switch 38 are also provided on the housing panel 28a. A slot 40 is provided in the front of the housing 28, and the strip 20 of label stock moves out of the machine through the slot 40 after having been printed by the printer. The label stock strip 20 enters the printer from its rear, and the strip may be drawn from any suitable supply roll (not shown).

Each of the knobs 32 is fixed on a slide. 42 (see FIGS. 2 and 4), and each of the slides 42 is held reciprocably disposed beneath the panel 28a by means of rods 44 ex, tending through slots 46 formed in the slides 42. Each of the slides 42 is connected with a rack 48 by connectors 50. The racks 48 are held reciprocably disposed by means of rods 52 extending through slots 54 provided in the racks. It will be apparent from FIG. 4 that the slides 42 are disposed considerably farther apart than are the racks 48; and, therefore, the connectors 50 are of various lengths. Each of the racks 48 is provided with a series of ten serrations 56 on its lower edge, and a detent-lever 58 is yieldably held within a serration 56 by means of a spring 60. 7

Ten intermediate wheels 62 are rotatably disposed on a fixed shaft 64, and a pinion gear 66 is fixed to each of the wheels 62 and is rotatably disposed on the shaft 64 along with the associated wheel 62. One of the racks 48 is inmesh with each of the gears 66 and extends between adjacent spaced ones of the wheels 62. Each of thewheels 62 is provided with ten outwardly extending teeth 68.

Ten type wheels 70 are rotatably disposed on a shaft 72 that is carried by and fixed on a pivot arm 74 (see F IG. 5 The arm 74 is swingably disposed on a stationary shaft 76. E

A drive gear 78 and an ink roller cam 79 are fixed on a shaft 80 that is rotatably disposed in a fixed part 81 (see FIG. 3). The cam 79 has a dwell 82 that is closer to the center of rotation of the cam than the rest of the cam periphery (see FIG. 7). The gear 78 has a drive pin 83 (see FIG. 5) fixed to one face thereof. The type wheels 70 are each provided with ten printing faces 84 each of which has raised letter press type characters or bosses in the form of lines on it which correspond to the printed lines 26 and raised letter press type characters corresponding to the Arabic numerals 27, all to be printed therebyonto the label stock 20. The faces 84 are spaced from each other by means of indentations or notches 86 provided in the peripheries of the type Wheels 70. The drive pin 83 is adapted to enter aligned ones of the notches 86 as will be hereinafter described in greater detail. The type wheels 70 and the arm 74 constitute a print assembly, and this print assembly is swung about the shaft 76 by means of an electric solenoid 88 connected by means of a link 90 with the arm 74. A spring 92 has one end fixed to the arm 74 and yieldably acts against the action of the solenoid 88.

An ink roller 94 is rotatably disposed on the end of a swing arm 96, and a spring 98 is effective to hold the arm in engagement with the outer periphery of the cam 79. The cam dwell 82 allows the spring 98 to be effective to move the roller 94 into inking relation with the particular faces 84 that will be used for printing the label stock'20 as will be described in greater detail. The roller 94 is inked from any suitable ink supply (not shown).

A print solenoid switch 100'is positioned so that the arm 74 actuates the switch when the solenoid 88 is energized to move the arm 74 in the clockwise direction as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5.

A label feed wheel 102 is rotatably disposed on the shaft 76 and is formed with a print backup boss 104 on its periphery. A pair of spaced label registration fingers 106 are carried by the feed wheel 102 and are disposed adjacent to the boss 104. A drive gear 108 is rotatably disposed on the shaft 76 and is fixed with respect to the feed wheel 102. A pulley 110 (see FIG. 2) is disposed adjacent to the gear 108 and is fixed thereto, and the pulley 110 is driven through a belt 112 from a drive pulley 114.

The pulley 114 is co-axially disposed with respect to the output shaft ofa drive motor 116, and a clutch 118 is provided effectively between the pulley 114 and the shaft ofthe motor 116. The clutch 118 has a control e-lement 120 which is in the form ofa cylinder with a boss or tang 122 formed on its outer periphery. When the element 120 is held stationary, such as by means of its tang 122, the clutch 118 disengages so that the drive pulley 114 is thereafter stationary, even though the outand is illustrated and described on pages -22 of the IBM Customer Engineering Manual of Instruction" for these machines, IBM manual no. 223-8319-9, copyrighted I950, 1953, 1961 and 1962 by IBM Corporation.

The control element 120 is selectively held from rotation by means of the armature 124 of an electric solenoid 126. The armature 124 has a spring 128 effective on it for yieldably holding the armature in its braking position with respect to the element 120, and the armature 124 is effective on a clutch switch 130 located below the solenoid 126. A swinging latch arm 132 is located above the control element 120 for the clutch 118 and is also effective on the tang 122 for preventing backlash movement. A spring 134 is effective on the arm 132 so that the control element 120 may freely rotate when the solenoid armature 124 is withdrawn from latching position with respect to the tang 122.

with the strip 20 in its passage lying between the feed wheel 102 and the type wheels 70. A swingably mounted detent lever 140 is positioned so as to enter notches 22 on one edge of the label strip 20, and a spring 142 is effective on the detent lever. If desired, a suitably actuated cutoff blade 144 may be provided in the printer for cutting off the strip 20 after a number of the labels A, B, C, etc. have been printed.

A preferred electrical control circuit for the printer is illustrated in FIG. 13, and the circuit includes the on/off switch 36, the start switch 38, the clutch switch 130, the print switch 100, the print solenoid 88 and the clutchsolenoid 126, as illustrated. The circuitry also preferably includes a counter switch 146 which is closed as long as the label counter is in action but which is opened when the counter is reset back to zero.

In order to put the printer into operation, the operator starts the motor 116 by moving the switch 36 to its on" position. The operator then manipulates the knobs 32, moving the knobs in their slots and this has the effect of moving the type wheels 70 so that the desired bar codes and Arabic numeralsare printed by each of the wheels 70, as will be described. At this time, the teeth 68 are engaged in the, notches'86 in the corresponding type wheels 70, with the print solenoid 88 being de-energized and the spring 92 holding the swing arm .74 to the limit of its movement in the counterclockwise'direction as viewed in FIG. 5. A movementv of one of the knobs 32 at this time causes a corresponding'movement of the connected slide 42 and rack 48.

' The rack 48 in moving causes a corresponding rotation of the gear .66 in mesh with the rack and thereby of-the intermediate wheel 62 fixed to this gear. The teeth 68, as the intermediate wheel 62 is rotated, cause a corresponding rotation of the type wheel interengaging with these teeth, and the result is that the type wheel is moved so that'its printing face 84 is located at the position designated as"X" in FIG. 6. It will be observed that the knobs 32 have ten positions within their slots 30, and the associated type wheel 70 is thus moved a corresponding amount so that the bar code 26 and Arabic numeral 27 corresponding to the particular Arabic numeral on the panel 28a opposite the knob 32 are provided at the position X. The detent arm 58 is effective on the rack 48 for holding the parts in their positions selected as just described. The remainder of the knobs 32 are adjusted within their slots 30 in the same manner so that each of the 10 print wheels 70 are in the positions desired for printing.

The operator then moves the knobs 34 within their slots 36 so as to .set the counter for the desired number of labels. to be printed.

The operator then closes the start switch 38, and this has the effect of energizing the print solenoid 88 so as to swing the assembly comprising the arm 74 and the print wheels 70 clockwise as seen in FIG. 5 so as to engage aligned ones of the notches 86 with the type wheeldrive pin 83 carried by gear 78. The driving connection between the gear 78 and type wheels 70,is thus completed. The interengagement of the teeth 68 with the type wheels 70 is broken at the same time as the connection between the gear 78.and the type wheels 70 is completed by the pin '83 as just described. The type wheels 70 are then in their positions as illustrated in FIG. 7.

This clockwise movement of the arm 74 also has the effect of closing the print switch 100 whereby the solenoid 126 is energized and the clutch 118 is engaged. The switch 146 is closed at this time. With this engagement of the clutch 118, the print wheels 70 are drivingly rotated by means of the pulleys 114 and 110, the belt 112, the gears 108 and 78 and the drive pin 83. As the wheels 70 rotate, the cam 79 has a like rotation and when the dwell 82 of the cam 79 comesbeneath the arm 96, the ink roller 94 moves inwardly under the action of the spring 98 so as to ink the faces 84 that are subsequently used for printing It will be noted that the dwell 82 is in alignment with the print surfaces 84' at position X that are used for printing. The parts are then in their positions as illustrated in FIG. 8. At this time, the label stock is stationary, being held so by means of the detent arm 140 under the action of spring 142 and located in a notch 22 of the strip 20.

The wheels 70, the gears 78 and 108 and the feed wheel 102 continue to rotate, and eventually the registration fingers 106 enter opposite ones of the edge notches 22 in the strip 20. The label stock is'thus propelled forwardly as is shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. illustrates the manner in which the fingers 106 lie in the notches 22 of the strip at this time.

The fingers 106 lead the backup boss 104; and, as the wheels 70 and 102 continue to rotate, the print surfaces 84 located at position X approach the backup boss 104 to initiate a nipped relationship therewith so that these surfaces print the bar code and Arabic numerals on one of the labels A, B, C, etc., as wheel rotation continues. The fingers 106 assure that there is proper registration between the labels A, B, C, etc. with these printingv faces 84 and move the label stock 20 forwardly as the wheels 70 and 102 continue rotation. The parts then arrive into. substantially their FIGS. 9 and 11 positions. When there is a complete nip between the printing surfaces 84 and the print backup boss 104, as in these figures, printing is achieved particularly by the labels A,

B, C, etc., being squeezed between these printing surfaces 84 and the backup boss 104, and this nip also causes feeding of the label strip 20. At this time, as is shown in FIG. 11, the fingers 106 are moving out of in- .terengag'ement with the notches 22 in the edges of the strip 20.

With additional rotation of the wheels 70 and 102, after printing of a label A, B, C, etc. has been completed, the boss 104 moves away from the label strip 20, causing the strip 20 to stop moving. At this time, the detent lever 140 again engages in a notch 22 of the strip 20 holding the strip 20 stationary and in a position at which the fingers 106 may again subsequently interengage with the strip 20 for a subsequent printing operation. The positions of the parts as the boss 104 starts to move away from printing surfaces 84 are illustrated in FIG. 12.

The cycle as just above described in connection with one revolution of the printing wheels 70 is repeated for each subsequent revolution of these wheels, with an increment equal to one label of the strip 20 being fed forwardly and with a printing action between the surfaces 84 and 104 with respect to one label occurring foreach revolution. The type wheels 70 are fixed with respect to the drive gear 78 throughout the continued printing of the label strip 20, and thus all of the labels are printed by the same printing surfaces 84 so that identical lines 26 and Arabic numerals 27 are printed on all of the labels. In connection with the FIG. 13 circuitry, it will be observed that the clutch switch 130 is in parallel with the start switch 38, and thus the printing operation continues as just described even though the switch 38 is allowed to open (the switch 38 is one of the selfopening type).

After the desired number of labels have been printed with identical printings as just described, the counter switch 146 opens, with the counter stepping back to zero. The clutch solenoid 126 is thus de-energized, stopping rotation of the wheels and connected parts.

The clutch switch senses this stopping of rotation and opens as the clutch 118 is disengaged. The print solenoid 88 is thus de-energized, and the arm 74 and wheels 70 swing counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 5 about the shaft 76 to again cause an interengagement of the teeth 68 in notches 86. The knobs 32 may then again be adjusted within their slots 30 so as to adjust the type wheels 70 with respect to each other so as to bring the desired printing surfaces 84 to position X as seen in FIGS. 6 to 12 for a subsequent printing run.

Advantageously, therefore, the printer allows the individual type wheels 70 to be individually set with respect to each other, but the type wheels collectively rotate without any relative motion between them for printing on the label strip 20. At the same time, the strip 20.is incremented a label at a time so that the labels are printed as the print backup boss 104 cooperates with the desired printing surfaces 84.

Whatis claimed is: y

l. A machine for printing a continuous strip of labels with identical and selectively changeable characters ineluding a stack of typewheels on a common axis and each having a plurality of different print characters on its periphery;

a stack of drive wheels on a common axis which is parallel with and spaced from said first named axis and each of the drive wheels forming a wheel pair with one of said typewheels;

teeth on the periphery of one wheel of each of said pairsof wheels receivable in indentations in the periphery of the other wheel of the wheel pair whereby each of said drive wheels may drive and rotate one of said typewheels for adjusting the rotative position of the typewheel;

a spur gear coaxially disposed and fixed with respect to each of said drive wheels with intermediate ones of said drive wheels and the stack of drive wheels having their spur gears disposed between adjacent ones of said drive wheels;

a plurality of racks corresponding in number to said drive wheels and said typewheels and respectively in mesh with said spur gears so that some of the.

- racks extend between adjacent ones of said drive wheels in their said stack;

manually operated knob connected with each of said means for moving individual labels of said strip consecutively into printing engagement with said aligned print characters including a label feed wheel having a boss on its periphery,

means for driving said feed wheel,

a drive gear coaxially disposed with respect to said feed Wheel and fixed thereto,

a second drive gear fixed on a certain center and in mesh with said first named drive gear, a pin fixed on said second drive gear and extending parallel with the axis of said second drive gear, an arm swingably mounted on the same center as said feed wheel and carrying said typewheels by means of a shaft fixed with respect to said arm on which the typewheels are rotatably mounted,

said teeth being disposed on said drive wheels and said indentations being in said typewheels, and

a motor connected with said arm for swinging the arm about the center of said label feed wheel and for thereby moving said typewheels out of toothed interengagement with said drive wheels and at the same time interengaging said pin in aligned ones of said indentations in said typewheels for providing a driving connection between said second drive gear and said typewheels whereby said driving means for said feed wheel may be effective to drive said feed wheel and said typewheels through said gears and whereby consecutive ones of said labels may pass between said boss on said feed wheel and print characters on said'typewheels in printing positions for printing the labels as they pass between said boss and said typewheels on rotation of said label feed wheel and typewheels. 

1. A machine for printing a continuous strip of labels with identical and selectively changeable characters including a stack of typewheels on a common axis and each having a plurality of different print characters on its periphery; a stack of drive wheels on a common axis which is parallel with and spaced from said first named axis and each of the drive wheels forming a wheel pair with one of said typewheels; teeth on the periphery of one wheel of each of said pairs of wheels receivable in indentations in the periphery of the other wheel of the wheel pair whereby each of said drive wheels may drive and rotate one of said typewheels for adjusting the rotative position of the typewheel; a spur gear coaxially disposed and fixed with respect to each of said drive wheels with intermediate ones of said drive wheels and the stack of drive wheels having their spur gears disposed between adjacent ones of said drive wheels; a plurality of racks corresponding in number to said drive wheels and said typewheels and respectively in mesh with said spur gears so that some of the racks extend between adjacent ones of said drive wheels in their said stack; a manually operated knob connected with each of said racks whereby, on linear movement of the knob and the rack connected therewith, the corresponding typewheel is rotatably adjusted through a corresponding drive wheel and spur gear so as to move certain print characters on the typewheel into a printing position; and means for moving individual labels of said strip consecutively into printing engagement with the print characters on the peripheries of said typewheels which are in alignment and in printing positions; said means for moving individual labels of said strip consecutively into printing engagement with said aligned print characters including a label feed wheel having a boss on its periphery, means for driving said feed wheel, a drive gear coaxially disposed with respect to said feed wheel and fixed thereto, a second drive gear fixed on a certain center and in mesh with said first named drive gear, a pin fixed on said second drive gear and extending parallel with the axis of said second drive gear, an arm swingably mounted on the same center as said feed wheel and carrying said typewheels by means of a shaft fixed with respect to said arm on which the typewheels are rotatably mounted, said teeth being disposed on said drive wheels and said indentations being in said typewheels, and a motor connected with said arm for swinging the arm about the center of said label feed wheel and for thereby moving said typewheels out of toothed interengagement with said drive wheels and at the same time interengaging said pin in aligned ones of said indentations in said typewheels for providing a driving connection between said second drive gear and said typewheels whereby said driving means for said feed wheel may be effective to drive said feed wheel and said typewheels through said gears and whereby consecutive ones of said labels may pass between said boss on said feed wheel and print characters on said typewheels in printing positions for printing the labels as they pass between said boss and said typewheels on rotation of said label feed wheel and typewheels. 